Israeli Startup Creates Berry Nutrients With No Fruit Required 

An Israeli startup has found a way to cultivate nutrients from berries, without needing to extract them from the fruits themselves. 

Novella identifies plant tissues with the highest concentration of nutrients, such as in stems, fruits and flowers, and grows these specific cells in bioreactors in a method that is similar to cultivated meat.

The plant tissue is preserved in the startup’s cell bank and is utilized for all future productions, making it possible to bypass cultivating the entire plant and preventing variability in nutrients.

Novella says that it can maintain the berry’s various nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and even the nutrients known as anthocyanins – the deep red, purple and blue pigments found in these fruits.

Now, the startup has unveiled prototypes of its new berry-derived nutrients, as well as a new facility that comprises both its operational headquarters and a pilot plant that will accelerate the plant cell cultivation from five varieties of berries. 

“Berries cultivated solely for supplements on average require about 2,000 acres to yield just one ton of polyphenolic [micronutrients] compounds,” said Itay Dana, co-founder and chief business development officer of Novella.

“We have condensed that vast tract of agriculture into a 10K liter bioreactor that produces the same quantity of pure, high-value ingredients,” he said.

“This frees up valuable land for cultivating food crops and provides a host of other economic and environmental benefits, beginning with the complete elimination of waste,” explained Dana.

“Our method requires minimal land, energy, and water usage and exerts a minimal carbon footprint. We can produce high-quality ingredients at affordable prices, independently of climate fluctuations, logistical challenges, or social and political constraints.”